TWO managers of Xinjinhu Bus Transportation Service Co. were demoted and its two drivers, surnamed Hong and Ke, were fired for irregularities such as making detours to pick up extra passengers and selling tickets privately.

An investigation report showed that the Shenzhen-licensed bus GD446 to Huilai picked up travelers from at least four locations along the way from Luohu to Buji and then Longgang before turning to an expressway in Longgang District after it left the bus station in Shekou.

The detours extended the trip, which normally takes three hours, to about six to seven hours.

The investigation team of Shenzhen CPC Discipline Inspection Commission also found that the bus ticket office in Shekou was aware of the irregularities; one ticket seller even claimed if the drivers don’t make detours for extra travelers, the bus fares won’t cover the fuel cost. Several unidentified employees of Longgang District Transport Bureau were also found negligent over the irregularities of the buses.

The Shenzhen Municipal Transport Commission has suspended the Longgang bureau employees pending investigation and revoked the operation license and route of the bus.

Xinjinhu was also disqualified for providing extra bus services and chartered services during the Spring Festival transport season.

Inspection stations across the city have checked a total of 48,627 long-distance coaches and discovered 877 vehicles carrying dangerous chemical products. Between Feb. 1-10, the first 10 days of the Spring Festival transport season, the city reported three fatal accidents that resulted in three deaths, a drop of 75 percent over the same period last year.